The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring a knitted fabric from a circular knitting machine while preventing twisting of the knitted fabric which is a cylindrical fabric used to produce socks, panty hose, tights or the like.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 47-20587 published Jun. 10, 1972 discloses an apparatus for taking out a cylindrically knitted fabric knitted by a circular knitting machine. The apparatus comprises an upright hollow guide cylinder disposed concentrically within the needle cylinder so as to rotate in synchronism with the needle cylinder. The guide cylinder is perforated, and a cylindrically knitted fabric produced in the knitting region adjacent to the top portion of the needle cylinder is fed downward within the guide cylinder to be delivered through a bottom opening of the guide cylinder. There is provided a suction device that evacuates air around the perforated guide cylinder to cause the cylindrically knitted fabric to be pressed against the inner surface of the guide cylinder. The suction is exerted from a lateral side of the guide cylinder, as will be described in detail hereinafter.
In the known apparatus described above, the knitted fabric being fed downward under suction tends to be biased and sucked against only a lateral portion of the inner wall of the perforated guide cylinder because of the exertion of the suction from only a lateral side. As a result, the knitted fabric within the guide cylinder is urged only partially onto the inner wall of the guide cylinder while being fed downward due to the weight of the succeeding part of the fabric. This often causes rubbing of the fabric on the guide cylinder and on a gear box in the vicinity of the lower portion of the guide cylinder. As a result of this, the knitted fabric is contaminated and damaged with consequent twisting and degradation thereof.
Furthermore, in the known apparatus described above, the knitted fabrics fed downward through the guide cylinder are dropped through the bottom opening of the guide cylinder and are then stored in a storage box provided below the bottom opening. The fabrics stored in the storage box must be manually picked up to convey them to a next processing step for producing socks, panty hose or tights.